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Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs)
= Who are the NCOs? = The non-commissioned officers (NCOs) of the Senior Section form the backbone of a BB company and is a crucial link between officers and members. Since they are the most visible personnel with an age gap closer to members, they form a bridge to help officers and members communicate with each other better. NCOs include the ranks of Lance Corporal, Corporal and Sergeant, which form the basis of an NCOs Council. Their primary role is to carry out the assignments given by officers and to assist officers to achieve the BB Object. The NCOs also assume leadership positions in their respective school platoons. In some cases, senior leaders may carry out the duties of an officer, such as administration, planning and execution. NCOs are distinguished from members with their insignia on their right chevron and they wear a white lanyard, a symbol of authority, on their left shoulder. Sergeants wear an additional red sash while a staff sergeant wears a blue sash over their left shoulder. Incidentally, the Staff Sergeant is a member appointed from a member of the Senior Section, and is commonly regarded as a rank for an officer in probation. The role of a staff sergeant typically revolves around monitoring the NCOs Council and supporting the office administration. However, a staff sergeant is not an NCO, and not an officer. The rank exists separately on its own and is positioned above all the sections of the Company and right below the officers. The NCOs in 8th Penang, like other BB companies, are the most valuable personnel, and they hold an office of authority in the NCOs Council and in their respective school platoons. Outline of the leadership programme The concept of NCOs and the leadership training in 8th Penang are closely associated. An NCO in 8th Penang is subject to a meticulously planned training programme. This part narrates how the concept of “From Ah Boys ''to Men” (or “From ''Ah Girls to Ladies”) works in the Senior Section of 8th Penang. Squad Leaders’ Training Camp The first preparatory training for a member in 8th Penang is to attend the Squad Leaders’ Training Camp (SLTC) in their second year. The camp usually runs for three days in March, with the main objective to equip and qualify trainees to become squad leaders in their platoons. The squad leader is a position itself, not a rank in the Brigade, and each squad leader is responsible towards the members under his/her care and assignment. A squad is the basic functioning unit for a group, and it allows an efficient means of communication top down from the Company’s leadership. The assignment criteria varies from platoon to platoon. However, in principle, it follows the ideal 1 to 6 ratio, that is each leader or assistant leader is assigned to lead 6 members. In the NCOs Council, each NCO is also assigned to a squad led by a senior NCO and mentored by a local officer and a cyber officer. Potential NCOs In-House Training Entering the third year, a member now qualifies himself/herself by age to be promoted as an NCO of the company. Although seniority is important, much attention and training is still needed to prepare a member to be mentally and physically ready for the roles and responsibilities of an NCO. The Potential NCOs In-House Training (PIHT) of 8th Penang is designed for such a purpose. Customarily, the Full-Time Staff (FTS) is the office bearer who takes charge of the execution of the programme, which involves drill, physical training and other challenges. The PIHT programme typically starts in January and ends in June before the Enrolment Sunday. It imparts essential leadership skills through character building and intense training. NCO Training School During the PIHT period, a potential NCO (a trainee in the PIHT programme) will sign up for the Basic NCO Training School (BNTS) organised by the Penang State Council, under the commission of the National Training Committee. Members who have passed their BNTS will advance to the Advanced Training (ANTS) in the following year. The two schools of NTS are the training academies offered at the National Level. Each school usually runs for three days in a camp. The training incorporates elements of leadership, communication, teamwork and discipline. NTS allows members to acquaint members from other BB companies and catalyse members’ exposure to state level events. Upon the completion of the Advanced NCO Training School, a member is rewarded the NCO Proficiency Star, denoting that that one has completed the training for NCOs endorsed by the national committee. The NCO Proficiency Star is one of the basic requirements to attain the President’s Badge, which is an essential criterion for the attainment of the Founder’s Badge. Promotion of the Ranks and Enrolment Sunday This small section digresses slightly from the training programme in 8th Penang. As a member completes the training in BNTS and the Company’s PIHT programme, he/she is ready for the final assessment for promotion. For cases of promotion from Private to Lance Corporal, 8th Penang has the PIHT officer-in-charge (usually the Full-Time Staff as aforementioned) to decide based on a list of requirements. The promotion list is then sent to the Officers’ Council for approval. In the meantime, the promotion to senior NCOs (Corporals and Sergeants) are similar in practice, albeit with higher requirements than the Lance Corporals. Existing NCOs are required to arrange an informal meeting with their squad or cyber officers to help them reflect upon their performance in the past year. If an NCO wishes to promote to a higher rank, he/she is required to attend the NCO interview, where a panel of officers shall carry out the assessment. After which, the promotion list is ultimately finalised during the Officers’ Council meeting. It is customary for 8th Penang to have the members’ promotion on the Company’s Enrollment Sunday. The promotion may be carried out on other occasions during training camps or special events. The Enrolment Sunday (commonly known as Enrolment Day or Service, but in 8th Penang, it always falls on a Sunday) is an annual elaborate ceremony jointly organised with 4th Penang GB. The enrolment service is a ceremony where members take oath and officially become a member of the Brigade. For NCOs and Officers, it is a solemn ceremony where they pledge to offer their best services to the Brigade and the advancement of the BB Object. Besides promotion and enrolment, other highlights of the day include the inspection of the guard of honor, a church service and a whole afternoon of fun activities and games. The NCOs Council and the In-House Training Programme After their promotion to NCOs, BB members are automatically part of the NCO Council of the Company. The NCOs Council is the body that regulates the administration and programmes of the Senior Section in the Company. Committee members of the council meet regularly for matters relating to the performance of school platoons and how to improve them, as well as organising programmes for NCOs. NCOs begin their training, courses, and assignment in the NCO In-House Training Programme (IHT). Currently, the IHT programme is designed to be implemented in semesters, with each semester spanning over a course of six months. Ideally, an NCO will have undergone four semesters of IHT programme by the time he/she is in his/her fifth year in the Senior Section. Depending on the Company’s calendar, the IHT programme runs on weekends, and NCOs have the option to choose either to attend on Saturdays or Sundays. The three-hour long IHT programme is module based with each module targeting specific areas of development. These include developments for character, communication, leadership and technical skills. The IHT programme is an extension of the NTS training, and seeks to reinforce the lessons acquired in NTS. The delivery of the training departs from the conventional lecture method and emphasizes experiential learning, practical experience, self-reflection and group discussions. Trainings are usually conducted by an officer with relative knowledge in that field and facilitated by other officers. Officers play a crucial role in the IHT to observe, coach, and serve as mentors to NCOs as they grow within a safe environment that allows them to learn from their mistakes. As of July 2017, the 8th Penang Company has 16 sergeants, 38 corporals and 65 lance corporals. Sgt. Chung Yun Sheng is the Chairman of the NCOs Council, while the officer-in-charge of the NCOs Council is W/O Lim Yu Jun. As Platoon Leaders and Organisers In reality, the testing ground of a BB member experiences is in the leadership roles of their own respective platoons and the NCOs council. In the school platoons, NCOs are appointed to various committee positions. They perform administrative duties and implement the BB programme for younger members under the instruction of the teacher advisors and officers. At the Company level, there are various portfolios to choose from in the NCOs council. Camps and events of the Company are primarily organized by NCOs under the supervision of officers or staff sergeants. Annually, the events include · Squad Leaders’ Training Camp (SLTC), · Annual Boot Camp (ABC), · Annual Training Camp and Recruits’ Training Camp (ARTC), · Special Training Unit (STU), · Enrolment Sunday and · Youth Camp. Other events at the state level include NTS and the state Founder’s Day. On special occasions, ad-hoc programmes may be organized. In principle, if a member has experienced the Senior Section for five years in the 8th Penang Company, he/she would have gone through the listed programmes at least once as trainee or participants, and at least once as an organising committee. As for members who have decided to continue their journey with the Brigade after completing their high school, the opportunities are endless as they are empowered with greater duties and responsibilities within the Company. In recent years, many of these members have undergone the Elementary Officers Training Camp (EOTC), organised by the National Training Committee, as a preparation to be appointed as officers. Eventually, the Company has high hopes for these young aspiring leaders take up the challenge and join the 8th Penang Company as officers to serve the younger generation. Overview of the leadership programme An overview of the Leadership Training Programme provided by the Boys’ Brigade in Malaysia, 8th Penang Company. The avatar icons represents the roles and positions that a member can attain in a linear timeline in the Senior Section, from squad leaders, to platoon leaders and important roles in the Company’s NCOs council. The coloured blocks represent the trainings available in the company. Green indicates outdoor activities; white indicates leadership trainings and courses where members participate as trainees; and blue indicates members participate as part of the organizing committee or trainers. The four insignias represent the ranks attainable in the BB. The numbers on each insignia denotes the minimum number of proficiency badges required for each rank. The last two badges illustrate that the President’ Badge and the Founder’s Badge can be attained in the 5th and 6th year as a BB member. A Holistic Development Programme In conclusion, the programme in 8th Penang encompasses the BB method and the leadership training programme. It envelopes character building and proficiency amid the pursuit of greater accomplishment, knowing that the value of merits remains worthless in the absence of lessons from the voyage. 8th Penang believes such a programme model allows a Boy or Girl to grow holistically into a Man or Woman in line with the BB Object.